Murtha And A Citizen — Legislature?

As Kevin pointed out, Jack Murtha is calling for a new draft. Of course, the military brass don’t want a draft, and every military member I’ve spoken to who has served in the conscript and the volunteer army doesn’t want conscription.

But if Murtha is so enamored of citizen service, why don’t we replace our legislature with a drafted body? At the age of 18, rather than registering for selective service, our young people will register for KP duty congressional service. Those who can pass a basic American history and civics test get put into the system.

The first thing we need is term limits. One term sounds like enough to me. The next thing we do is get rid of the elective process, and choose people from the “Congressional Service” pool by random. So we’ll be replacing our entire House contingent every two years, and 1/3 of our Senate contingent in the same period.

Sure, Murtha will be out of a job… But can we really say that our “volunteer” legislature has been a success? How can we expect our legislators to enact good policies when they’ve been outside the real world for most of their lives, and are trying desperately to ensure they never go back to it? At least if we’re turning over our Congress, the people who make policy know they have to go actually live under that policy. Some would say that with such high turnover, Congress wouldn’t get very much done. Considering what they’re usually doing, I’d call that a Good Thing&#153.

Think about it: a Congress full of plumbers, secretaries, engineers, nurses, cooks, bank tellers, etc. We’re talking about people who actually know how to put things together and make things happen. I think it’s be a damn sight better than a Congress that’s about 40% full of lawyers, a class of people trained to field a debate team, don’t you?

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js290

Fuck the draft. The most “fair” way to do military service is to make it mandatory for everyone. I think Rep. Charles Rangel, Vietnam vet, suggested this. Preference can also be given to those who join voluntarily before some minimum age.

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue.
And when the band plays “Hail to the Chief”,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yoh,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, one.

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no no no.

http://thelibertypapers.org/2005/11/22/a-bit-about-kevin/ Kevin

The most â€œfairâ€ way to do military service is to make it mandatory for everyone.

In other words, we all need to become slaves to the almighty state to pursue “fairness”.

http://www.mainstreamlibertarian.com Eric Dondero

Great Js, so now we all know that you can quote Creedence to a Tee. Good job.

Problem with Creedence though, is they didn’t understand that the correct Patriotic position is Anti-Draft. They got their marbles all mixed up.

Someone should tell Fogarty:

Liberals = Pro-Military Draft

Conservatives/Libertarians = Anti-Draft

http://www.warisaracket.com/ js290

In other words, we all need to become slaves to the almighty state to pursue â€œfairnessâ€.

If our freedoms and liberties are actually at risk, then everybody should all be prepared to defend it.

http://unrepentantindividual.com/ Brad Warbiany

js290,

Saying everyone should be prepared to defend our freedoms is an entirely different thing than saying everyone should be forced into military service.

I agree, everyone should be prepared to defend our freedoms. I don’t see forced military service as a requirement for that to happen.

http://anu.nfshost.com/ GL Meister

I couldn’t agree more with the idea I found on a Libertarian website a few years back. The premise was that an Nation that cannot raise enough volunteers to defend itself isn’t worth defending in the first place.

http://www.warisaracket.com/ js290

I agree, everyone should be prepared to defend our freedoms. I donâ€™t see forced military service as a requirement for that to happen.

I thought the military was suppose to be protecting our freedoms? Or, is that just more propaganda?

Christophogus

The basic question of mandatory military service is truly an interesting one. From it there is arises many considerations, perhaps the most important ones a nation should and must ask itself. The defense of a country is one of its basic functions and, as such, serves to be one of the clearest indicators to what kind of nation one is.

Yesterday and Today, USA’s defense history has not been one of mandatory service. Only in times of war do we have a draft. Regardless of personal belief, this is America’s stance thus far- a history which can be thought of as compromised between military obligation and a lesser-binding one.

And consequently, Jon Murtha’s comment I think almost reminds America of Spartan and Roman-type cultures which, as far as our historical exposure is concerned, was more prided on war and highly stressed military obligations. Maybe it’s the recent ‘300’, but these are the avenues that this comment is travelling through.

Thus, I think that a good majority of Americans will keep with the tradition of history, and will NOT promote mandatory service. Although I do believe that military pride in America is rich, and many, including myself, wouldn’t consider it absolutely outrageous if it were mandatory, the bottom line is mandatory service just dog gone won’t happen.

I do hope though that the presidential campaign will dive into the issue and with it, bring to the table just exactly where America is at right now, and what kind of President (perhaps Commander in Chief is more appropriate) it wants.

What kind of nation is the USA today? One that loves the thrill of military power, but doesn’t neccesarily want the obligations for it. This is why we love rollercoasters and scary movies and headline news!

http://unrepentantindividual.com/ Brad Warbiany

I thought the military was suppose to be protecting our freedoms? Or, is that just more propaganda?

Our military does protect our freedoms, some of the time. A lot of the time they’re sent in on “peacekeeping” missions that have absolutely nothing to do with our freedoms, and needlessly get American soldiers killed.

Did Bosnia protect American freedom? How about the first Gulf War? Overthrowing tin-pot dictators like Noriega?

You’re setting up a false choice. You’re saying that the *ONLY* way to protect American freedom is to join the American military establishment, and that it is therefore necessary for every able-bodied person to be a part of the military. However, there are plenty of other ways to defend American freedom, thus it is not true that you must have mandatory military service to protect freedom.

http://coat.ncf.ca/our_magazine/links/53/butler-by_frazier.html js290

One that loves the thrill of military power, but doesnâ€™t neccesarily want the obligations for it.

AKA, a chicken hawk.

Let the workers in these plants get the same wages â€“ all the workers, all presidents, all executives, all directors, all managers, all bankers â€“ yes, and all generals and all admirals and all officers and all politicians and all government office holders â€“ everyone in the nation be restricted to a total monthly income not to exceed that paid to the soldier in the trenches!

Let all these kings and tycoons and masters of business and all those workers in industry and all our senators and governors and majors pay half of their monthly $30 wage to their families and pay war risk insurance and buy Liberty Bonds.

Why shouldn’t they?

They aren’t running any risk of being killed or of having their bodies mangled or their minds shattered. They aren’t sleeping in muddy trenches. They aren’t hungry. The soldiers are!

Give capital and industry and labor thirty days to think it over and you will find, by that time, there will be no war. That will smash the war racket â€“ that and nothing else.